What Are You Reading?

In our classroom, we are continually talking about books. Students are always sharing their reading life with their friends - always on the lookout for an incredible book. I was able to do a lot of reading this weekend, so I thought I'd share with you some of my reading life (in hopes that you will share about yours!).

The Shack
by William P. Young
Fiction

A good friend of mine recommended this book to me - it really impacted his life. In the story, a horrific tragedy strikes Mack's family when his daughter is kidnapped. Several years later, Mack gets a mysterious note in the mail from God - inviting him to meet and talk. Not knowing exactly what to think, Mack steps out and accepts the invitation. The rest of the story shows Mack and his conversations with God. It's an amazing dialogue that really challenged a lot of my previous thinking. Mack and God talk about evil, independence, relationships, and forgiveness. It's a book that covers a lot of ideas - I'm looking forward to working through it all. If you'd read this book, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Gossamer
by Lois Lowry
Young Adult Fiction (Fantasy)

I've always loved Lois Lowry. Number the Stars and The Giver have always been two of my favorites. I was finally able to order Gossamer through Scholastic, and it did not disappoint. Littlest One is a dream-giver, and she and Thin Elderly visit an older woman's home each night. Littlest One learns to collect "fragments" by touching objects in the home, collecting memories to bestow to the older woman in her dreams. The older woman takes in an eight year old foster child with a troubled past - and along with the foster child comes the Sinisteeds, who bestow nightmares upon their victims. Littlest One and Thin Elderly decide to stand up against the Sinisteeds and protect the young boy and older woman. I know it all sounds a little strange (my wife put the book down after just a few chapters), but it really puts forth a good message. The boy (John) had a terrible home life, but the older woman loves him unconditionally. It's a story about good being stronger than evil, and love being able to heal pain.

The Year of the Dog
by Grace Lin
Children's Fiction

I've heard great reviews about this book from several blogs, so I was ecstatic when Virginia donated it to our classroom library. Grace is the only Taiwanese-American in her elementary school. It's the Year of the Dog, which her mother explains is a good year to find true friends and to find yourself. Grace sets out to accomplish both. Each story tells a different story from Grace's life. I loved reading about the various traditions her family practiced and the different types of food they ate - so much centered around food! It was also very interesting to see how Grace was pulled between two cultures, and how she dealt with being the only Asian girl in her school. There were lots of strong messages in this story. I recommend it to all my students!

What are you reading? What's on your "to-read" list? Parents, friends, educators, students - please let us know what you're reading by leaving a comment below. As we wind the school year down, this is a great chance for all our blog readers (whoever you may be) to connect to one another. We look forward to hearing about your reading life!